Plasma and Milk Pharmacokinetics and Estimated Milk Withdrawal Time of Tolfenamic Acid in Lactating Sheep

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the plasma and milk pharmacokinetics, as well as the withdrawal time (WT) from milk of tolfenamic acid (2 and 4 mg/kg) following intravenous (IV) administration to eight healthy lactating Akkaraman sheep. Methods: The trial was conducted in two periods in accordance with a crossover pharmacokinetic design. The concentrations of tolfenamic acid in the plasma and milk were determined using high-pressure liquid chromatography and evaluated using non- compartmental analysis. The WT of tolfenamic acid in milk was calculated using the WT 1.4 software. Results: Compared to the 2 mg/kg dose, plasma volume of distribution at steady state (from 0.43 to 0.50 L/kg), terminal elimination half-life (from 2.41 to 4.14 h) and dose-normalized area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC(0-infinity), from 9.46 to 30.11 h mu g/mL) increased, whereas total body clearance (from 0.21 to 0.13 L/h/kg) decreased at the 4 mg/kg dose. The peak milk concentration (C-max) and AUC(0-infinity) values in milk were 0.26 mu g/mL and 0.28 h mu g/mL, respectively, for 2 mg/kg, and 0.43 mu g/mL and 0.55 h mu g/mL, respectively, for 4 mg/kg. Although the dose-normalized C-max of milk decreased depending on the dose, no difference was observed in dose-normalized AUC(0-infinity). The AUC(0-infinity milk)/AUC(0-infinity plasma) ratio was 0.03 for 2 mg/kg and 0.02 for 4 mg/kg. The WT values calculated for milk at dosages of 2 and 4 mg/kg were 3 and 4 h, respectively. Conclusions: A decrease in plasma elimination and an increase in plasma concentration of tolfenamic acid were observed depending on the dose. Tolfenamic acid lowly passed into sheep's milk at 2 and 4 mg/kg doses. This study may provide valuable information for clinicians' decision-making processes.